Sunday, November 7, 2010

pumpkin scones with brown sugar glaze

So, remember when I talked about going to Alice's Tea Cup when I went to New York to visit Nimra? Probably not. But anyway, since I am far too obsessed with baking for my own good, I immediately had to buy the cookbook they just released on the 25th of October. It came in the mail on Thursday, signed [picture me grinning from ear to ear like a fangirl when I saw how two pastry chefs signed my cookbook. yeah, that pathetic], and I was almost late to class because I was skimming through it and admiring all of the colorful photos.

I brought it with me when I came home for the weekend, and decided that I had to try baking some of their famous pumpkin scones with brown sugar glaze. It was, fittingly, the first [and currently, only] thing I ate there when I went with Nimra, and it was divine. Ergo, I ran to the grocery store yesterday to pick up some canned pumpkin and buttermilk, much to mom's dismay, and as soon as I woke up this morning got to work baking.

Pumpkin Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze

For the scones, you'll need:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 cup cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 cup canned pumpkin [NOT pumpkin pie filling]

1 tsp vanilla

For the glaze, you'll need:

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and flour a large baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger, and mix at low speed with paddle attachment until well combined. Add in butter, increase speed to medium, and beat until dough has the consistency of breadcrumbs. Using your hands, make a well in the center of the dough. Pour pumpkin, vanilla, and buttermilk into the well. With your hands, mix until dough is wet. It will also be quite sticky.

Roll dough out onto a floured surface and pat down with your hands until it is about 1 1/2-inches thick. Using a 3.5-inch pastry cutter, cut out scones and distribute them evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and springy to the touch. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before dipping in the glaze.

To prepare the glaze, put butter, sugar, lemon, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk as butter melts and sugar dissolves to make sure the syrup is uniform. When the syrup comes to a boil, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Lower heat and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes until glaze starts to thicken. It should coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. If serving immediately, dip the top of the scones into the warm glaze. If not, do not dip the scones; pour glaze into a container and only drizzle or dip the scones in the glaze when ready to serve.

Mom had absolutely no faith in my scone-making ability. She watched me make the dough and told me to just give up and start over, because the dough was 'too sticky' for them to turn out well. Seriously, it was just chastisement after chastisement. Even when they were in the oven, she told me to go check on the 'impending failures.' Though, I have to admit, even I was worried; I wasn't sure how they were going to turn out because the dough did seem much wetter and stickier than I had anticipated.

Still, I persevered, and it was well-worth the uncertainty, because they turned out perfect.

In fact, Yusra couldn't contain herself and ate two. I myself ate one and a half, they were so irresistible. Even mom had to admit, they were delicious, and I noticed she kept going back to the kitchen to nibble. [HA, mom].

Now Yusra wants me to make them on Thanksgiving. Maybe I will, as a sort of pregame for the main event. Which I'm still told is going to be my responsibility.

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